If I was asked to describe this blend in one word that word would be "strong". In every sense of the term. The tin I got was only a few months old but the tin had already started bulging, so my guess is that it would age like a dream. Out of the tin it smells like a pre-hamster hamster cage, like fermented wood chips with a little sweetness. Definitely off-putting to non-smokers and noobs. Packing a bowl of this is easier with the rub method as the flakes sort of disintegrate as I pick them up. The taste takes a big departure from the tin note. You can definitely tell it's a burley blend but the flavors are beefed up. It has a taste like potatoes and marinated steak (in that order). Sounds silly but I'm sticking with it. The vitamin-N will definitely knock you on your behind, but in a small bowl it's easy enough to handle. I normally HATE high vitamin-N blends but this is the exception. It hits you hard about halfway into the bowl but doesn't really increase from that point, so if you can survive the initial hit you're golden. The room note is not a winner because it retains that hamster cage smell, so this is a solitude smoke for sure.

Side note: I wrote this like lightning after smoking a bowl's worth, so if you got thinking work to do this blend will be your friend.

It's only 4 stars if you like a very strong burley blend. It could knock you off your feet if you're a fast puffer, and you risk it burning a little harsh and ashy if you do. It won't hurt to have a little food in your stomach. Do all of that, and you'll be rewarded with a powerhouse burley with all the burley notes you've come to expect (a mild sharpness, lots of earth and nuttiness and some molasses), plus a light natural Virginia grass and citrusy sweetness to take the edge off. I think there's more than just a "dash of perique" in this blend, but it really helps make this a smoke worth having. The perique adds a decent spice and raisin hit. I don't recommend this to anyone who's inexperienced in pipe smoking. But if you've been around burleys for a while and need the big nic-hit, this could be your blend. Burns cool and clean at slightly less than a moderate pace, and needs a few relights, but the flavor remains consistent to the finish. Leaves little moisture in the bowl. Won't bite.

Several things about this blend jump out at me. First, this is the quickest I've ever gone through a tin of tobacco, to the best of my memory. I got going and could not put this down.

Second, this is indeed a lighter version of Old Joe Krantz, as has been mentioned. It is also OJK's much more refined younger brother. Where OJK blasts full steam ahead without a whit of elegance, BF #3 subdues the harshness of its sibling and provides all the flavor. No asbestos tongue or iron lungs needed.

Finally, I had read about "cigar notes" in pipe tobacco and indeed even made reference to same. I did not know what I was talking about until I smoked this. This takes the medium-full flavor of burleys, virginia and perique and the sum is all that AND the robust smoothness of a fine light wrapper Honduran... not too strong, but with a nice cigar-type boldness. The combination was captivating! I've been excited about a lot of blends over the last couple of years but this is one of the three that I can't say enough good things about (C&D's Epiphany and McC's Royal Cajun Ebony being the other two).

Try this if you enjoy burley with a sprinkling of VA and perique, and if you occasionally enjoy a fine (mild) cigar.

Just finished this tin that had been sitting around for a while. My thoughts on this blend is that it is a bulldozer, which is not a surprise as it is made by C&D and the purpose is to highlight the burley which from this blender are always strong.

This is one thing I do like about C&D blends, they will never let you down in the nicotine department, but this one also has some perique in it which makes it overwhelming to me. If you think OJK is too strong, don't even bother with this one, it will knock you out.

As to the taste it is nutty and a little "raisiny" due to the perique, but it will take a very slow cadence to get there. This will turn ashy at the slightest provocation and any rushed smoking will also accelerate the already heavy nicotine in this one. I really didn't like this too much and likely won't buy it again, but will still have to try the other BFs as this is the only one I have had to date. So I somewhat recommend this to the person who just needs a lot of nicotine. As for burley itself, I would prefer Pegasus over this blend as I think it nuttier, still strong, and overall more pleasurable smoke.

As for the perique element, I would go OJK or haunted bookshop over this blend as they are more forgiving to technique and still strong, but I would rather smoke Hal O' the Wynd to any of them as I feel Perique better suited against a majority of Virginia to Burley on the whole, but we all have our different tastes and some do love this blend. Two stars for me and the quality of leaf that is in all C&D blends.

I have read and been told that C&D knows their burley. This is the first burley flake of theirs that I've tried, and if this is what their burley is like, then the rumors are true. I thought I usually found burley to be pretty boring and sometimes hard to even taste. Not this blend. This has a very robust flavor. It is a beefy tobacco, fully of body, flavor, and nicotine. Normally I'm not a fan of hard hitters in the N department, but this blend is an exception. Much like Jackknife Plug, I have to make sure I've eaten a full meal before I smoke this. But when I have, I can't wait to smoke it. I don't see this tin lasting very long.

If you're new to burleys, or haven't yet tried them, this is a great one to try. There is enough VA and Perique in there to sweeten it slightly. It has just the perfect amount of moisture, in my opinion -- soft to the touch, but not in the least bit moist. The somewhat broken flake falls apart, but I still leave it in thick "stalks", and I have no problem at all keeping this lit. This is actually the easiest to keep lit flake (or broken flake, in this case) tobacco I've smoked.

This is crazy tasty tobacco! It was an all day smoker despite being so strong. I had to get out some of my smaller bowled pipes though. Its got a wicked cigarette style nicotine hit. The burley and perique play well and I loved the taste of this blend and loved its hard hitting nic.

I've heard the saying "C&D knows burley" and they proved that with this blend.

If you like a good burley then this one has to be on the must try list. Strong burley flavor with enough virginia to prevent any bitter taste. The perique was there but very subtle. More of a peppery mouth "feel" than taste. Enough nicotine to satisfy a former cigarette smoker with some to spare. Stays light easily and burns cool. No effort needed to smoke this one but plenty of old fashion tobacco pleasure.

Conclusion: A fantastic smoke; consistent, complex and always a winner. If you are looking for something flavourful and strong this will rock your world.

Taste: Surprisingly floral, if I did not know better I would have thought that it was topped. It is not sweet, though, and the herb-like notes are most likely due to the perique. That same perique plays very well with the burley in adding some heat and spice to the smoke, I would almost compare the experience to having a plate of thai food; there is a burn that stings ones mouth and sinuses initially, but once that initial burn mellows out it reveals a lot of flavour. These flavours include said floral notes, but also a somewhat salty taste from, I suspect, the burley and a tiny sweetness coming off of the virginia. As I said though, this is not a sweet blend, the virginia sweetness is pretty much embedded within the perique. So I would say that the perique is the main player here, it dominates without blocking out the other flavours. One can quickly tell who is in charge, I can't think of a better way to put it, and I have no problems with the boss! This is the best use of perique that I have so far encountered, I like VaPers just as much as the next man but this BurPer brought out something extra from the perique. I have smoked this both rubbed out and "folded" (the flakes come broken so folded means "not rubbed") and I find that the latter makes for a more complex smoke. It also makes for a slow burning, rather long smoke so make sure to have some time to spare. This is a full bodied smoke.

Mechanics: Burns clean and needs very few relights, a dry smoke, no bite and heavy on the nicotine.

BF#3 is very similar to BF#1, only much stronger. In fact, it is BF#1's big hairy brother! Everything I said in my review of BF#1 is true also for BF#3 - nutty, strong(er), stout and densely perique/burly fragrant. I enjoyed smoking this blend straight out of the tin; especially the room note. It has performed better than either BF#2 or BF#1 in micro blending and really makes my English blends sing. I have now smoked all four of the Burley Flake variations and for my tastes and blending purposes, I rank them as follows: first BF#4 (its an English blend in it's own right), then BF#3, then BF#1 followed by BF#2 (this one gave me tongue bite).

I have had my days with burley and some have been wonderful; the day I met this Burley was one of those days. This was a nice, strong, full bodied burley blend. I liked the smoke produced. I liked the tobacco flavor. I liked the restraint used when applying the perique. This came perfectly ready to smoke out of the tin and it lit well while smoking up the air around my head in a dreamlike cloud. The flavor, to me was a little harsh, but not too badly. A good blend to be sure.

I don't think it's possible for C&D to even make a bad blend. BF #3 is toasty and nutty with just a hint of sweetness from the Virginias. You had better be a fan of Perique however, because it's there; loud and proud. BF #3 is tasty but just doesn't have that "wow" factor like a Kajun Kake or Mississippi River, but it is very good and worth trying. I won't buy it regularly but I will definitely be buying again.

Don't ask a boy to smoke a man's tobacco! Burley Flake no 3 is a man's tobacco and for the experienced smoker who enjoys a fair dose of nicotine. The tin aroma is very smoky, suggesting a fair amount of Dark-Fired Kentucky. The flakes rub out fairly easily and it smokes very nicely and evenly. The main taste is of tobacco, completed by the DFK and of unsweetened raisin that comes and goes throughout. An interesting change of pace, I am not sure if I will rebuy but I certainly appreciated the experience.

This tobacco is almost good, but a bit too acrid with insufficient compensation to say so. Usually before I entirely give up on a tobacco, I give it some time in the sun, which I did with this tin. For me, the sun improved it enough to keep it around, though I have nothing against a dry tobacco. Cornell & Diehl are amongst my very favorite, but not this particular blend. I'd love for C&D to try something similar to Solani's aged burley flake, which for me is the golden standard of burleys. I wouldn't advise against trying it, but there'd be many ahead in the queue.

C&D had open tins of almost everything, at the CORPS show in Richmond. After doing my due diligence on tobaccoreviews.com, I made a list of about a dozen to examine in person. After looking them over and sniffing them, this was one of the 4 or 5 that I requested samples to tryout.

All the earlier reviews are right on target. Plenty of vitamin N and a smooth easy smoke ending with white ash. I left with a 8oz tin and finally popped it and jared it today. Pure pleasure. I held off on STAR #4 only because I want to spend some more quality time with the blend before I move it to highest level.

Okay, this stuff is strong, I only had a sample of it, but it knocked me off my horse a few times while smoking it. For this reason I prefer this after a big meal or occasionally as a nightcap if I'm a bit wired before bed and want to mellow out a bit. It has a nice earthy full flavor, I'd like to try it again, but I'll probably pick up a tin of one of the other burley flakes instead so I can try all three, plus this one was a bit strong for my normal tastes. Overall recommended, especially if you like heavy nic in your blends! The two burley flakes I've had are probably the best burley's I've ever smoked, so if you like that kind of stuff, give this a try.

Love it, smoked a fat bowl of this with a 10% alc. high quality stout beer by Peak organic. Can you say roasty toasty? This is great smoke. Call me crazy but I love it first thing with a super dark black cup of joe. Just to get warmed up before moving on to G.W.Co Brown Irish X. I like em' strong being an ex cig smoker.

11/27/11 I Will add it seems to smoke wet. Even after a month of open tin. Rub it, dry it for an hour then smoke it. Maybe a better result. Pack her lightly. Maybe its my pipe selection but every smoke lately seems wet..I do like it though. It takes some work. Where as black..no no no different post..

This is very tasty tobacco,if you like burley and can handle the nicotine hit you get with this one then you will love it also.I am a huge burley lover and I believe Cornell & Diehl blends some of the best bureys in the buisness! Very flavorful and burns very cleanly to a fine ash.For some reason this burley blend nocks me over with nicotine,perhaps its because I like the taste so much and tend to smoke this blend rapidly.Excellent.

Wow! The tin aroma of this stuff is potent and very complex. The tin says “a dash of Perique” but the ripe cheese and earthy scent of it fills the room when the tin is first opened. Ghostly hints of sweet Virginia and the flat dried-bean, nut-like scent of the Burley play a supporting role to the tasty Perique. Other scents I've picked out in the tin aroma include, cured hay, silage, sour-dough, black tea, mushrooms, damp earth, latex (natural rubber), whole wheat bread, dusty barns, and worn old leather.

Smoke has much less complexity on the palate, but it's pleasant. Like over-roasted nuts and notes of cured hay and new-mown grass. Perique flavor is thin and ghostlike. Flavors move through a range of strength from medium to almost non-existent. But remember, this is a mostly Burley flake, so even if the flavor seems mild, there is A LOT of nicotine in this one.

As I smoked more bowls, I noticed a tendency to get cigarette-like near the bowls end. The same ashy cigarette smoke smell dominates the room note, especially a few hours after finishing the pipe. I smoked 3-4 packs a day for twenty years, I finally quit, and I'd rather not taste or smell cigarettes from my pipes.

I like Burley blends and this is one of the best. Has the great base notes of Burley - nutty - with hints of sweetness from the Virginia and a nice level of spice from Perique. Well balanced. Burns clean and does not get bitter at the bottom of the bowl. I like the flake presentation too. As with most tin tobacco, I left the lid off overnight bringing it to a moisture content I like. Along with Burley Flake #4, and MacBaren's London Blend, I am a happy camper.

Burley Flake #3. Pop the tin and you get a nice scent of Burley and Perique. Nice. Americana in a tin.

The flakes need a bit of drying for me, then I fully rubbed out. Surprisingly, this tasted a lot like Old Joe Krantz to me. Which is a favorite of mine! Score! This differed in that the flavors were more unified, and the smoke was SSSMMMOOOOOOTTTTHHHH. The bowl burned merrily along with nary a relight. Strength was Med Strong...I felt the effects..My the room got warm.... Joy. The flavor stayed consistent to the end, no typical burley bitterness near the end. The perique was assertive, not overpowering...Very Tasty. This flake is one for the books. Great stuff!!!

I think people who say they don't like burleys owe it to themselves to try Cornell & Diehl' s Burley Flake series. They have mastered this leaf. #3 is my favorite strictly for my fondness of Perique, because it has plenty of it. BF #3 IMO, is a more smooth and refined version of Old Joe Krantz, making it a more palatable blend to a wider range of smokers. BF #3 gives you a full, nutty flavor with a nice tang from the virginias. The Perique adds the nice plum notes along with plenty of the wonderful pepper sensations. Being burley based, it is a full tobacco blend that will definitely satisfy. Beautiful mottled flakes and a great tin note.

A true "mans" blend. High in "N" but smooth. I find this better after a few months to breath ( bottom of the tin is best) and smoke this at a smolder. Burns very nice to a gray ash. Delightful with a cup of "Joe". Similar to Jackknife plug and Germains Brown Flake but not as sweet. The Burley is out front with this one, maybe a slight taste of Cigar leaf. I had this with my morning coffee and it felt like I had 3 beers for breakfast , watch the "N".

Updated 9/25/11 Well I've been told that Burleys don't age well and I have to agree. Tried this again after about 3 months of cellaring and all I got was smoke, no sweetness, no complexity, just a metallic burley taste. I've got to remove a star, totally uninteresting. I must have been lightheaded when I wrote my first review !

Not only was this my first burley, but it was also the first pipe-full I had that really tasted like I was smoking a great cigar (but with a filter tip). While it is straightforward, I have yet to find a purer burley that is this sparse, yet complex and savory. I have found it smokes best in a straight group three billiard and that the cigar qualities come out the most in this pipe shape. Of course this is only my preference, and it consistently tastes outstanding in all my burley pipes of all sizes. I will add that this is a stronger nicotine blend, one I go to after work to unwind and collect my thoughts. Like other burleys and cigars, the sumatra earthiness and leathery flavors are there, which personally go very well with rye or scotch (which are usually the choice beverages to go with such tastes). Needless to say, this is outstanding burley; a must try.

It was not up until now(08:22 2010-09-03) I learned about the tobaccomanufacturors with the trade mark "CORNELL & DIEHL inc."browsing around in the site for pleasure and advise.Trough thorough investigation I found the apropriate merchant in USA and sent application and retail for a modest batch of some of their finest in stock.aaaaaaaaaaaaaathe tin with the four star brand "BURLEY FLAKE #3"caught my immediate attention for a direct survey.Soft and moist,somewhat spongy type of flake in 3mm slices perfectly packed with care in a common tincan,smelling of perique tobacco and the overwehlming cacao aroma from the burleytobacco....nice.I recomend a big bowl,this is one of the best burleys I ever have smoked.Clean taste of tobacco with the perfectly balanced addition of virginia and perique,an accentuation of the burleystyle tobacco that enhances itself very generously,with very small means indeed.This is a masterpiece.BF#3 is easy to tuck down in the bowl,needs a if not agressive so intensive lighting up,it is pretty moist though,but burns perfectly if you start it up with a real cloud.My new everyday choise besides "Brobergs Burley".

Another home run from C&D. Agree with most of the comments. I normally stay away from flake tobacco, I just don't want to bother with it, so I just cut the strips in small cubes with a pair of scissors, so its cube cut. A little too moist straight out of the tin however. I dried mine on a sheet of tin foil. For the burley lover without a doubt. The Perique was also very tasty and well done. Didn't taste alot of the Virginia however which was fine, the blend was mixed perfectly. I wished it came in bulk. I really can't say enough about the offering from C&D. The best tobacco people on the planet

My tin presented broken strips ~ 2" long that were easy to pack. However, in my view, the moisture content from the tin was too high and drying made for more consistent packing and allowed easier initial lights and prevented numerous relights. Smoked cool and smooth without any bite or condensation but I didn't sense much contribution from the Perique. I still prefer the taste of my straight VAs or Va/Pers but if you favor Burleys, this is a good one.

A very nice full flavored and full bodied burley. I usually avoid flakes as too much trouble, but this one is easy to handle. Comes a bit damp, but isn't a problem for me. I smoke the flakes as they come in a large bowled pipe. Just grasp what I think is the right amount and stuff it into the pipe, and trim the top. A little difficult to get going, but once it is, it just smolders all the way down, and is very cool burning. Puff it up a bit and experience the strength, but the nic is certainly not excessive. This is one I am going to keep on hand.